Modeling MFM images of periodic magnetization patterns (abstract)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is a powerful technique that has gained wide acceptance in the imaging of magnetization patterns. However, MFM images are ‘‘raw’’ images, and they are not necessarily identical to the original images of the magnetization patterns. In an attempt to investigate the relationship between the raw images and the magnetization patterns, we present a theoretical analysis of the MFM images through numerical computations. In this way, we show the dependence of the images on both the orientation of the probe’s magnetic moment and the interaction between the probe moment and the sample magnetic fields. For a pure sinusoidal magnetization pattern, a vertical orientation of the MFM probe’s magnetic moment will yield images that follow the magnetic charge density distribution, while a horizontal orientation of the probe will yield MFM images that follow the magnetization patterns themselves. We investigate the deviation from this correlation between the images and the magnetization distribution when magnetization patterns are not purely sinusoidal. Computations are performed for periodic patterns with linear and arctangent transitions. To model the interaction of the tip with the sample’s magnetic fields, we model the tip as a Stoner–Wohlfarth particle. This allows us to investigate how the tip–sample interaction may distort the MFM image. Our modeling suggests that in general there is no direct correlation between the raw MFM image and the actual magnetization distribution. This makes a strong case for the implementation of image reconstruction techniques.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: